IRD dishes out more than $80m in first week of automatic tax refunds
The first two batches of automatic tax assessments have been issued by Inland Revenue this week with over $80m of refunds going out to taxpayers, along with just over $10m of tax bills to pay. The deputy commissioner of transformation, Greg James, said the automated system, which went live on 26 April, is "exceeding expectations". On Thursday alone, the new system catered for over 500,000 logins on myIR, almost double the number recorded prior to switching to the new system. He said the old system would not have coped with that number. "We were creaking and groaning at around 260,000 and at these sorts of levels, it really would have struggled. "We are now starting to see really high demand and a lot of self-service in the new channels," he said, "which is what we are looking for. "Our latest release hasn't been without its wrinkles and that's to be expected with a transformation of this size and scale," Mr James said. "Tax agents, in particular, are playing a valuable role in letting us know when something isn't happening as they would expect. We're grateful for that contribution and we're trying to be as responsive as possible in making any enhancements or adjustments." In its first week, 247,379 automatic assessments were issued, including 178,457 refunds and 29,080 bills to pay. The total value of refunds paid out so far was $83.3m and there were bills to pay worth $10.4 million. Mr James said more batches will go out each week between now and the end of July, when the process will be completed. "We're really encouraged to see so many customers are able to get on with their business," Mr James said. "I think we have a great platform to keep developing and making improvements so New Zealanders continue to get the world class tax system they deserve."
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Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.3% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.7% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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